Late In Life
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: AU. Ted and Tracy end up welcoming their late in life surprise baby in 2030.


**I don't own HIMYM and never will. No copyright infringement intended.**

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To say that Ted and Tracy were surprised by the news they were expecting their third child was an understatement. And the odds were against them even more because of the cancer that had ravaged her body six years earlier. She had pulled through and was still in remission, but neither had ever thought something like this would happen to them. "She's nearly forty-six years old!" Ted cried to the doctor.

She laughed. "And she's still menstruating, thus Mrs. Mosby can still get pregnant. Congratulations on your late in life surprise baby!"

"Ted, we're having another baby!" Tracy pushed her fears back and grinned at her husband.

He couldn't help but grin back. "I heard, Trace. How pissed do you think Penny and Luke are going to be?" Their fifteen and thirteen year olds probably figured they didn't have to worry about younger siblings and were perfectly content to hang out with their cousins.

Tracy put her hand on her husband's shoulder. "Pretty pissed, but I still can't wait to see the looks on their faces when we drop this bomb on them." They'd probably wait to tell them until she was past the first trimester, however. And at least the cancer hadn't returned, something they feared when she first started getting sick a week or so earlier. The terror had faded (at least a little). She jumped down off the examination table, kissed Ted, and then went to go change into normal clothes.

"I'm in my fifties and I'm going to be a father again." The deer in the headlights look on Ted's face nearly sent Tracy's doctor into a fit of giggles, but she refrained and remained professional.

"And you're far from the first man to do the same thing, Mr. Mosby. Take some time to relax and come to term with this news. It's better than the news you were dreading, right?"

He nodded, trying not to remember the nightmares that plagued him about Tracy losing her battle to cancer. That had been a dark time in their lives, but at least their friends had pitched in to help them. Marshall and Lily and Barney and Robin had really stepped up to the plate with the kids and everything else that fell to the wayside during that horrible year. "It is," Ted agreed. He kissed Tracy when she returned. They stopped to pay the co-pay and then headed home, where Lily and Robin were waiting for them.

"Marshall and Barney took all the kids out to eat," Robin explained.

Her heart pounding, Lily decided to get right to the point. "Are you sick again? Is there anything we can do to help? We're here for you."

Ted and Tracy exchanged a knowing look. "Should we tell them?" she questioned.

"Lily can't keep a secret."

"Hey!" Lily scowled at them. "I can so keep secrets – do you remember when I found out I was pregnant with Daisy? I only told you guys once you figured it out."

"Okay then." A laughing Tracy put her hands up in surrender and then put them down to grab Ted's hand. "I'm not sick. Well, I technically am, but it's not cancer."

Robin stared in confusion. "You're sick, but it's not cancer? Is it bad?"

Lily figured it out and squealed. "Are you two having a baby? Is that what you're saying?"

Tracy nodded. "Yeah, I'm pregnant! Turns out drunken unprotected sex at forty-five can have the same result it did in your thirties."

Robin literally slumped in relief and then hugged her friends. "Congratulations, you two. And the offer still stands – we're here to help whenever you need us."

"I'm glad Marshall and I are done having kids, but I'm going to spoil that teeny little baby rotten," Lily declared. Marvin was going to start college soon and Daisy would be following in his footsteps soon. At least Ivy would be home for a little while longer, but she missed her kids being babies (not the diapers, though).

Tracy looked down. "I'm old and a lot of things could still go wrong, especially with my medical history. I don't want to get my hopes up." She was happy but scared about this.

"Sweetheart, you and Ted have been through so much. You've made it this far – both of you are going to be fine." Lily smiled at her friend and pulled her in for a hug. Robin joined in a few seconds later.

"Barney and I will even baby-sit!" Now that they were back in New York full time and were having fun with the dogs, Robin and Barney had more free time than they knew what do with (besides sex, of course).

"Aw, that's sweet." Tracy was honored (again) that their friends were so supportive of them.

That support would be much appreciated in the months to come. Marshall, Lily, Barney, and Robin kept the secret for them until Tracy reached the fourteenth week of pregnancy. That's when she and Ted decided to break the news to the kids.

Penny's mouth dropped open. "What the fuck?"

"Language!" Ted chided.

"I thought you were getting fat! I don't want to think of you and Dad having sex, but at least this is good news." Luke smiled at his parents.

Tracy looked down at her swelling abdomen and placed a hand on it. She was so excited to meet this baby and knew Ted felt the same. It was nice that everyone was rooting for them, even their kids (even though they weren't exactly happy at the moment).

Once revered, Penny hugged both Ted and Tracy. "Congratulations you two. I hope it's a girl."

"No, it better be a boy!" Luke did not want another sister.

Ted and Tracy left them arguing about the sex of their unborn sibling and went to go make dinner.

Pregnancy wasn't exactly a walk in the park for Tracy this time, but she was just happy that she wasn't chasing after a baby like last time. And after a premature labor scare in her seventh month, she was placed on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. Sure enough, everyone pitched in to help without complaint (at least not in Tracy's earshot).

And since they had a new sibling on the way, Ted decided to sit his kids down and tell them all about how he met their mother. Neither of them was impressed, but they sat there for hours and listened anyway. Penny left in tears (she claimed it was because it was romantic, but Luke claimed it was because she was bored).

She was a week away from her due date when she went into labor and delivered via emergency C-section (labor was taking forever, and Tracy couldn't handle much more of it). Ted was the first to meet their third child – another little girl. "Penny's going to be thrilled."

"She sure is." Even though she had done this twice before, Tracy was still caught off guard by the love she immediately felt for the newborn. It knocked her off her feet every time. "And I'm done having kids, Ted. I'm forty-six years old."

"Yeah, I'm right there with you, Trace." He shifted the baby around, an action that caused her to whine. "Sorry, little girl. What are we going to name her? You still sticking with that one you liked?"

Ted and Tracy had poured through baby name lists for months, but had a hard time choosing. She had her heart set on a name for a little girl, but Ted had been hesitant to agree to it. Tracy nodded. "Yeah, I love it."

"Temperance Charlotte Mosby then. Aren't people going to be reminded of _Bones_?"

"Ted, we named our son Luke and gave our daughter the middle name of Leia. Don't be judging me right now. Besides, that show has been off the air for years. And I love the character and it's a pretty name. She's staying Temperance Mosby."

The baby cooed and he melted as she grabbed his hand. "You're strong, huh? Okay, you're a Temperance. I admit it. But now Daddy needs to come up with a nickname for you."

Tracy watched them interact and yawned. "I bet Penny and Luke – and our friends – are chomping at the bit to get in. Hand me the baby and go get them."

Ted slowly stood up and reluctantly handed the baby over as he headed out to the waiting room. Penny was the first of the group to hold Temperance. She fell in love pretty much immediately. "Hi you. I'm your big sister, and I am going to teach you everything I know. Also, I love you, but no way am I have one of you until I'm much older."

"Good." Ted hated to think about his daughters (and whoa, that was plural now) dating. Unless it was Marvin Eriksen. He and Marshall had always been up for Penny and Marvin dating – the three year age difference wasn't that big of a deal.

Tracy and Temperance – nicknamed Em, courtesy of Barney - were discharged from the hospital a few days later. Ted and Tracy had forgotten about all the late night feedings that came with newborns and struggled to adjust. "I am exhausted." Tracy adored the hell out of her daughter, but she couldn't wait until she was sleeping through the night. She missed sleeping.

"You think Marshall and Lily would be up to keeping her so we can have some time to ourselves?" He hated the thought of waking up Marshall and Lily, but they had offered to help. And Barney and Robin had too many dogs that would probably bother Em.

"Maybe? I miss life. What's happening there?"

He shrugged. "I don't much about anything besides here and work."

Fortunately for the new parents, Marshall and Lily did agree to take the baby for the night so her parents could sleep.

Neither Ted nor Tracy had ever expected to have their third child, but they were so glad they got to meet Temperance. And Penny and Luke quickly adjusted to having a baby around, something that thrilled their parents. They also spoiled their little sister rotten. Temperance Mosby was definitely adored by everyone in her family. Their little surprise had worked out well for everyone involved.


End file.
